The Helmet Project

The Helmet Project is a website that illustrates the evolution of gridiron football helmets since 1960. This year was chosen as a cut-off point because hard-shell helmets had fully replaced obsolete leather headgear by this point and the lack of color photographs that illustrate football helmets from before then. Charles Arey of Atlanta, Georgia designed the site and continues to maintain it.

Leagues

The Helmet Project began in 1999 covering NCAA college football, and has since expanded to cover the NAIA, National Football League and NFL Europe, Canadian Football League, Arena Football League and af2, the United Football League, and Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Defunct professional football leagues such as the WFL, USFL, and XFL have also been added.

Not included are the women's football leagues, minor indoor football leagues, semi-pro leagues, or high school football.

Illustrations

All helmets are illustrated in 160x106 pixel GIF images. The Illustrations always show the three-quarters profile of the left side of the helmet, which has created problems in instances where a team uses logos on the right side only, such as in the case of the

All helmets were drawn from a standard template, which shows a full facemask style in use since the 1980s. This design has been criticised for not correctly illustrating the style of face guards in use before then. Arey has responded that he is more interested in correctly illustrating the color of the facemask than its shape, which was often seen in several different configurations simultaneously depending on the equipment manufacturer as well as the player's position and personal preference.

Facemask issues notwithstanding, Arey often requires photographic evidence, or preferably a copy of the actual logo and stripe pattern, before adding a design to the website. Helmets that Arey is unable to illustrate are denoted by a blank helmet with a question mark or plus sign depending on how much information Arey requires to correctly illustrate it. In many instances, low-resolution scans of pictures illustrating helmet designs that Arey is unable to reproduce are included in a separate section.

The Helmet Project in other media

Arey authorizes all non-commercial use of his artwork, as well as their use in college media kits and game programs. As a result, Arey's illustrations are widely seen on football related websites and publications.

Arey's artwork also was used for a special glossy section of the ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, though the designs were modified to illustrate appropriate face gear for the era. Arey's designs were also used on the front and back cover in unmodified form.